MANAGING BY RESULTS, NOT ACTIVITY
One of the most common fears that managers and executives have when considering virtual teams is, "How do I know my employees will be working if I'm not there to watch them?"
Well the simple answer is that you won't, not every minute. But
realistically, you can't be sure they are really working every minute
you see them in the office either; it is easy to confuse activity with
productivity.
A manager's job is to provide specific, measurable,
and attainable goals for the remote employee so that he or she knows
what must be done and when. These can include reports completed, number
of calls made, and number of support issues resolved - or any other
appropriate measure of job productivity.It is important that the
employee and manager arrive upon a shared definition of the
deliverables and timetable together. This ensures that everyone is on
the "same page" and prevents miscommunication. It also ensures that the
goals and expectations are realistic.
A manager's value to an
organization is as more of a coach and mentor, not an overseer. This
move away from "eyeball management," and the resulting clearer
definition of employee job responsibilities, is one of the major
contributing factors to the improved productivity normally experienced
with virtual teams.
Shifting your focus to performance based management will help you build a more productive mobile workforce.
